Give and Take Away

Natalie Winslow

Hello everyone. I wanted to share the inspiring story of a little baby boy who still lives in my school's hearts and in heaven today. I am an upperclassman in high school at a small private school.

There was a little boy that was the brother of an elementary school boy at my school, who was born with many health problems. We prayed and prayed for this little baby boy to live. At some times, it seemed he would he would miraculously recover, but then a week later, he would relapse back into sickness. This little baby boy fought, though, with all of his strength. He'd never seen the walls of his home, only those of the hospital room, yet he persevered. He was the image of courage, and found a place in the hearts of all of us at my tiny private school.

Well, one day, he seemed to be getting much better. The doctors even said he may be able to go to his home. But a week or so later, the baby grew terribly sick- sicker than he ever had.

Well, this little baby had to be put on life support at nine months. His father and mother and brother gathered around. Think about it- a little boy we had been praying for ever since his birth, and now God was going to take him away? It seemed unfair. I found myself asking God why. All those prayers seemed to have gone to waste.

Two days later, the doctors pulled the cord connecting the baby to the life support machine. We found out the news during seventh period class at school. The atmosphere of the hallways seemed to dampen as the news spread. I went into the bathroom, huddling in the stall and questioning God. Why had he taken away the little baby boy that we'd prayed so hard for him to live? Yes, he was now in a place of eternal happiness. Yet all of us struggled with the question, why would a loving God kill a baby boy?

The answer came a couple days later at the baby's funeral. With tears running down everyone's cheeks, the pastor explained how this little boy had brought joy into many lives at the hospital he'd been staying at, and how it had brought dozens to Christ. As the song says, the Lord gives and takes away. I learned this through a strong, courageous little boy who died at nine months, teaching us that through the tough times, we must persevere, and never forget that God has a reason for everything.